Flashback to Alaris

In the quiet stillness of an inn, located on the outskirts of the city, Alaris sat restlessly on a chair by the window of her room. Her eyes were like twin stars, fixed on the view outside.

The twilight sun above the western sky of the lake cast a silvery orange glow on the room, creating intricate patterns of light and shadow that danced on the walls. In the silent embrace of the afternoon, Alaris' heart felt increasingly restless.

"Where is Rudolf? Why hasn't he returned until dusk?"

It had been half a day since Rudolf had suddenly disappeared, leaving her entangled in suffocating uncertainty. The most agonizing mystery, however, was the disappearance of his three beloved twins.

They seemed to have evaporated from her life without a trace, a cruel twist of fate that made it hard to breathe.

Now, she was even more agitated when Rudolf also disappeared. She couldn't contact him because she didn't keep his cell phone number.

The disappearance of the children and the reunion with Rudolf happened so fast. Alaris' common sense and critical thinking seemed to partially disappear. She was frantic and could no longer think clearly.

"If you can't help me, you shouldn't have agreed to take me away to a strange place like this."

Alaris was getting more and more annoyed with Rudolf. The man still couldn't make priorities and prioritize more important things.

Rudolf was indeed the alpha of the pack, but he was not a responsible partner and father. That was the impression Alaris had now. Adding to her long list of reasons to leave and forget Rudolf once and for all.

Alaris stood up from her seat and looked straight at the horizon, her arms folded in front of her chest. The cold night air began to blow in. Alaris thought she couldn't possibly continue to be there without certainty, while time was running out. The safety of her children was at stake.

Alaris walked back and forth with anxiety. She was already thinking of leaving on her own for the sake of her children. She could not be defeated by time. She would do everything she could to keep her children safe.

A soft knock on the door startled her. Alaris quickly ran to the door. She thought it was Rudolf.

Her hand eagerly went to the doorknob and opened it. However, Alaris was disappointed to see only a servant standing at the door politely. She was a middle-aged woman in a simple but neat hotel employee outfit.

"Miss Alaris?" greeted the hotel employee.

"Yes, myself."

"There's a guest who came looking for you, he's waiting in the hotel lobby." The hotel clerk informed me as his hand pointed towards the hotel lobby.

Alaris' eyebrows arched, she was astonished. Guest? Who? "Excuse me, is his name Rudolf? The man who came with me last night?"

Alaris still thought that the person in question was Rudolf, but the hostess shook her head violently.

"No, he's not. He's Arnou. He insisted on meeting you and is now waiting."

Alaris' eyes narrowed even more as this was the first time she had heard that name. "Arnou? Sorry, I don't know him."

Alaris prepared to return to the room and intended to close the door but the clerk hurriedly prevented her. "He said he had something important to say."

The servant's words made Alaris undo her intention. Curiosity began to fill her mind. She didn't know the man but he said he had important news.

"Alright, I'll go see him."

Alaris decided to meet with Arnou. She briefly went into the room and grabbed some warm clothes. "Wait a moment," she said.

In a hurry, Alaris went downstairs and met the man who claimed to be named Arnou.

The man sat with his back to her on a sofa chair. His shoulders were broad and strong, making Alaris think he was still young. His body looked large and masculine.

"Ha-halo?"

Alaris greeted me a little nervously. Her eyes were both curious and embarrassed. The man turned his head, a warm and friendly smile on his lips. His face was so handsome and attractive!

"Hi, you must be Alaris."

Arnou stood up and immediately extended his hand to get acquainted. Alaris greeted him clumsily. The man's hands were very strong, his muscles standing out. Either he was a hard worker or a sports maniac. Either way, his appearance was perfect as a man.

"I-yes, I'm Alaris. How did you know, you said you were carrying important information?"

Alaris' questions were numerous, she couldn't wait to find out more. Arnou smiled a little, she then motioned for Alaris to sit in front of her. Their position was only blocked by a small table.

Arnou leaned forward to get closer to Alaris. She conveyed the information she was carrying carefully, as if she was afraid of someone else eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Alaris, I know where the kidnappers' base is," she whispered.

Alaris' eyes bulged, her heart skipped a beat when she heard that. Her body reflexively moved forward and approached Arnou.

"You mean, the kidnapper of my children?" she whispered.

Arnou immediately nodded with great certainty. Her gaze intensely looked into Alaris' eyes.

"You're looking for him and want to save your children, right? I can help you."

The offer was so attractive to Alaris, it was unexpected. She, who was anxious because Rudolf never showed up, now met a man who said he knew where her children were.

"Are you sure? How do you know all this?" asked Alaris, choking up. She was like a traveler in the middle of an arid desert who suddenly saw a water source in the distance.

"Of course I know. You can ask everyone here who I am. Arnou, the hunter. I know the hidden places here. Those criminals do like to cause trouble."

Alaris unconsciously opened her mouth. Arnou did seem to know a lot of things. However, she also had to be careful. What if the stranger was part of the wild wolf pack.

"How did you know that my children were kidnapped by them?"

A rather stupid question. But Alaris didn't care, she had to know who Arnou was and what his motives were. Although he seemed very nice, she didn't know him.

"I'm Rudolf's friend, this morning he called the hunter friends here to look for traces of the criminals. I know from them."

Rudolf gave a very reasonable reason. The news certainly spread quickly, who didn't know Rudolf, the alpha? If she could help him, he would definitely give her a sizable reward, or maybe even become a beta she could trust.

Alaris seemed to think for a moment, wondering if what Arnu said was true or if he was just pretending?

"How can I be sure that you know Rudolf?"

Alaris was still trying to investigate Arnou's background. She didn't want to be friends with the wrong person.

Arnou casually took out his cell phone and appeared to be contacting someone. Arnou called one of Rudolf's friends and said that he was now with Alaris.

Alaris noticed Arnou's movements. The man was willing to be open.

"You see, I told someone close to Rudolf that I'm with you and ready to help you. Hey, Miss. I know we're racing against time. Those kids of yours are in danger if we don't find them fast."

Alaris quickly nodded, her memories of the three twins making her nervous again. Arnou was right, she needed to find them immediately. "Can we go and find them now?" she asked.

Arnou nodded and stood up from his seat. He motioned for Alaris to follow him. "Okay, the sooner we find them, the better. Once we find them, we can figure out how to save them."

Alaris compiled and started following one's footsteps leaving the hotel. Before leaving, she told the receptionist to tell Rudolf about her departure.

"Tell Rudolf I'm leaving together with Arnou," Alaris ordered.